Mixing Law Enforcement with swashbuckling costumes, gold teeth and tattoos. When you feel like living on both sides of the fence you must do one virtually or develop a split personality....at least that's what the voice keeps telling me..........:-)

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Ok...at the risk of boring everyone to tears I decided to blog about my new toy.....well I think I really mean brag, spruik, skite or generally talk vociferously in an annoying fashion about it!

Here it is

Pretty.....and very retro too!

I ordered it and then had to wait for nearly three months for it to arrive from England...yep they are still made in 'ol Blighty'.

For the technically minded.......and because I'm boasting, she's a 2008 Triumph 865cc Bonneville T100 (100 for her reputed top speed in mph.....and I haven't tried yet!). This one is the last model before they go to fuel injection so it's still a real 'retro' bike. Triumph have managed to do an almost perfect job of recreating the classic 'Bonnie' of the 1970's without the drawbacks of the original......copious oil leaks and electrics by (Lord) Lucas - 'Prince of darkness'. The one main failing is the they are fitted with a very pretty but very quiet retro exhaust system that saps the engine power and whistles like a Japanese bike......not mine! I had some specially designed retro looking aftermarket pipes fitted and now it sounds like a '70's Bonneville....not too loud but rorty....to use a bike rider's phrase.

When I bought it I hadn't ridden a bike in some 15 years so it was with some trepidation that I picked it up.....on a rainy day....in peak hour traffic (for Albany). And worst still I had my better half and the salesman watching as I took off! All went well and I been slowly remembering the skills of riding. I commute most days and have ridden in the rain, during storms and on mornings when it has been around 2 degrees C.....and that's cold enough to shrink your tool shed...thank you very much!

One of the great things about riding is all the really cool gear you need, like jackets with 'body armour', cool looking helmets, kevlar lined jeans and carbon fibre reinforced gloves.....even I start to look like a 'terminator' in that kind of gear.....well a chubby terminator maybe!

I had forgotten how much fun riding a bike is and how stupid other road users can be.........it's a real mix of pleasure and terror.....but it's worth it.